For the last three years, slain provincial legislator Manzar Imam had been on the hit-list of militants over his “collaboration” with law enforcement agencies in apprehending Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi members, investigators revealed.

On Thursday, armed men on motorcycles shot dead the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) legislator, along with his driver and two security guards, in the Orangi Town neighbourhood of Karachi. Investigators told The Express Tribune that in August 2010, Imam had closely coordinated with law-enforcement agencies in arresting the LeJ militants involved in Haider’s assassination – Waseem, aka Waseem Barodi, and Abdullah, aka Taimoor.

They pointed out that Imam had also played a key role in the arrest of five TTP militants allegedly involved in the Ayesha Manzil bomb blast on January 1.

A senior police officer told The Express Tribune that Imam was killed by the Naeem Bukhari group of LeJ, which was also behind Haider’s assassination.

Imam also had a hand in the arrest of Bukhari’s Sindh chapter chief Hafiz Qasim Rasheed in October last year.

When questioned, SSP Khan neither confirmed nor denied Imam’s reported coordination with law enforcers. However, he did concede that Imam had been active against terrorists, especially those from LeJ, in Orangi Town.

FIR lodged

Police have registered an FIR against six unidentified people on the complaint of Mazhar Imam, Imam’s brother.

A nine-member inquiry team has been constituted to probe and arrest the culprits.

I am just hoping we can hear of Imran Farooq’s killers being arrested. That would be the day that justice is really served in the UK. Whoever is behind the killing of Manzar Imam will only be brought to justice if the killers of others in Karachi are brought to justice.

Manzar Imam was my next door neighbor , his family migrated from East Pakistan where the pakistani army laid down their arms, i remember he was running for his life during 1995 operation against mqm, the pakistani law enforcment agencies tried their best to locate him under the supervision of Nasrullah baber. Manzar Bhai you gave pakistan a lot , Pakistan did not give you anything. They left our 2 lakhs people in Bangladesh , Our peoples are being shot at like birds.